Eurovision 2027: Netherlands pulls out as RTÉ stays silent on Ireland

Eurovision 2027 has lost another country.

The broadcasters have confirmed that the Netherlands will not take part in next year’s Song Contest in Burgas.

The Netherlands also sat out this year’s contest in Vienna, as reported by RTÉ Entertainment.

For Irish viewers, the immediate question is what RTÉ does next.

Ireland was one of five countries, alongside the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia and Iceland, that sat out Eurovision 2026 after the European Broadcasting Union cleared Israeli broadcaster KAN to compete. 

“It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character,” said AVROTROS Director-General Taco Zimmerman.

“The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division.”

Where does Eurovision 2027 leave Ireland

In May, RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst said there was “no reason at the moment” to change Ireland’s position, though it would be reviewed.

Organisers said this month that any country in an armed conflict would be barred from hosting, though AVROTROS said that offered “insufficient confidence” that the contest’s independence could be restored, The Journal reported.

AVROTROS has handed responsibility for Dutch participation back to public broadcaster NPO.

The 71st Song Contest takes place in Burgas, Bulgaria, with the Grand Final on 15 May, and the full list of broadcasters will be confirmed later this year.

RTÉ has faced questions of its own over its coverage in recent years, and any decision will be watched closely by fans who follow the rest of RTÉ’s schedule.